15. “Mercedes” and “Mercedes‑Benz” Trade Name Dealer Application A. Dealers must use their DBA name as approved by MBUSA legal and franchise departments in all marketing communications.* Dealers should not link their DBA name to the “Mercedes,” “Mercedes-Benz,” “Benz,” or abbreviation (i.e., “MB”) trade names or to the Mercedes-Benz trademark in any communications if the DBA is not inclusive of trade name terms (e.g., John Doe Motors should not refer to itself in advertising as “John Doe Mercedes-Benz”). A vanity URL for marketing purposes can be created assuring it meets all brand standards and must link to the dealer’s URL registered in their DBA name. John Doe Mercedes‑Benz John Doe Motors Incorrect - Trade name linked with dealer name Correct B. Use of “Mercedes-Benz” or “Mercedes” in a DBA is permissible only if a dealer has received ofÏcial written authorization from the MBUSA Franchise Department to use “Mercedes-Benz of [town]” as a DBA name. When used as a logo, tag, or URL, “Mercedes-Benz of Anytown” must appear in the Corporate A Regular typeface, in such cases the dealer can use the trademark with their DBA (see examples below). Preferred version. of Anytown of Anytown Correct - Separation between star and all other elements or edges at an appropriate distance Incorrect C. The Mercedes-Benz trademark, “Mercedes,” “Mercedes-Benz,” or “Benz” should not be combined with the trade name of any competitive manufacturer (e.g., Crystal Lake Mercedes-Benz Pontiac-Oldsmobile). In instances where a nonexclusive dealership has a DBA name that includes a competitive manufacturer, an appropriate space must separate the DBA name and the Mercedes-Benz trademark, as specified and illustrated in the following examples. John Doe Motors John Doe John Doe Pontiac‑Oldsmobile • Mercedes‑Benz Motors Motors Pontiac‑Oldsmobile Mercedes‑Benz Incorrect - Trade name combined with that of competitive manufacturer Correct - Separation from competitive manufacturer D. Unauthorized uses of the Mercedes-Benz trade name (e.g., “Mercedes-Benz Sweepstakes”) is to be avoided. E. “Mercedes-Benz” is not to be used in the plural or possesive form, it must always be hyphenated and must always appear with an uppercase “M” and an uppercase “B.” *Exception to this guideline are dealer apps due to very extreme space limitations. Published August 2015, Rev. 10 Mercedes-Benz Brand Communication Standards l Page 59